By Chad Neal
Jimmy Buffett died this past week and left many fans in mourning. He was an icon in the music industry and he knew how to party. He would have fit in very well in Ellicottville as the ski life style and island lifestyle have some similarities, like partying. Buffett was 76 and had battled with skin cancer for four years, but being the committed musician he was he still played shows for his fans. Buffett had performed and recorded for over fifty years with so many great songs and ballads that a real popular album is even called Songs You Know By Heart which included the super popular Margaritaville which gets most bar crowds singing along.
His blend of music is definitive – Buffett style, ocean and island vibes can help describe it and it’s no wonder that many people love it as we all crave the vacation scenes we’ve experienced and those Key West memories are really extraordinary. His music can take you to those carefree echos of times with the ocean breeze blowing through your loose fitting clothing and the sensation of sand under your feet on your flip flops. So many of his songs for Parrotheads can evoke emotional sensations that bring up the warmth of the Florida sun and it is pleasant and elating.
He was more than a musician though, he wrote fiction and non-fiction books that were very popular, and he owned businesses as well. His most popular art though was the music and the stories behind the songs are all very interesting as well. We can imagine him being a strong lover, a pirate, a smuggler, a partier, and we know he was a sailor and a pilot. The man lived a life that was not by any means boring. An adventurer that sang and played guitar. He toured around the world for most of his life playing music that was original and he often dabbled in covering other artists as well.
Ellicottville being the destination it is is often has live music in any of the establishments and many many times those outfits have played a Buffett tune or three to the delight of everyone listening. The vibes here in Ellicottville are Buffettesque quite a bit and it is that vibe that brings people back to enjoy our little Bubble of Awesomeness. Jimmy Buffett will be remembered all over the world and here. The man proved that life is here to enjoy and he told us about it. Don’t be surprised that Come Monday and Pencil Thin Mustache along with his many others will be sounding from speakers all around as we grieve for the loss of another great man. One Love.